Paulo Sérgio Neves de Souza is the target of PF investigations for providing privileged information to Daniel Vorcaro
The minister of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) André Mendonça allowed the former director of inspection of the Central Bank, Paulo Sérgio Neves de Souza, to decide whether to go to the Organized Crime CPI. The decision was announced this Wednesday (March 18, 2026). Read the (PDF – 162 kB).
In the decision, the minister removed the mandatory testimony. Now, it will be up to the defendant’s defense to go to the commission or not. Mendonça also guaranteed the right to silence and not be subject to the obligation to tell the truth. Furthermore, Paulo Sérgio’s security will be the responsibility of the Senate’s Legislative Police.
The former director of the BC (Central Bank) is wearing an electronic ankle bracelet. He is being investigated for illicit enrichment in the investigation investigating financial fraud at Banco Master. Mendonça ordered the Federal Police to be in charge of transporting Paulo Sérgio de Souza to the Senate.
UNDERSTAND
The CPI had authorized the summoning of the former director on March 11. According to the minister’s order, the defense declared to the CPI the impossibility of his appearance, “for reasons beyond his control, to respond to the subpoena to testify”.
The Commission then presented the petition to the STF minister asking for authorization for the person being investigated to give a statement this Wednesday or, on another date to be designated, since he is in Minas Gerais.
WHO IS PAULO SÉRGIO
Paulo Sérgio Neves de Souza was deputy head of Banking Supervision at the BC and maintained close contact with Vorcaro. He was cited in the 3rd phase of Operation Compliance Zero, launched on March 4 of this year.
According to the (PDF – 384 kB) of Mendonça who authorized the operation, Neves and Vorcaro, founder of Banco Master, exchanged messages. The Central Bank employee gave guidance in official letters and even for a meeting with the president of the monetary authority. “Even though he is a BACEN employee, PAULO SÉRGIO becomes a kind of employee/consultant of VORCARO for matters of exclusively private interest to the latter”, wrote Mendonça.
Neves was by order of the Supreme Court, as well as Belline Santana, deputy head of Desup (Department of Banking Supervision). According to the BC, signs of perception of undue advantages by 2 members of the permanent staff were identified during an internal review of the financial institution’s inspection and liquidation processes.
For the PF, the evidence indicates that the former director provided a “informal consultancy” to Vorcaro about topics of interest to the Master. The investigators understood that both had an illicit relationship with the controller of Banco Master, Daniel Bueno Vorcaro, receiving monthly amounts through business structures used to hide payments.
